It is well known that a considerable problem of oral hygiene is offensive breath, also called bad breath, foetor ex oris or halitosis. Since social contacts are often impeded by bad breath, those affected have a great interest in remedying or preventing it.
Bad breath is primarily due to volatile sulphur-containing compounds which are generated when bacteria feed off residues of food and dead cells within the oral cavity. The principal sulphur-containing compounds which are responsible are thiols, particularly methanethiol, as well as hydrogen sulphide.
Numerous compositions for combating bad breath have been described in the art. For instance, it is well known to use chlorhexidine to fight against the bacteria responsible for bad breath, however this can result in dental discoloration. It is also common practice to provide minty flavoured chewing gums, breathmints or edible films to mask the malodour but these do little or nothing to reduce or eliminate it.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a composition which reduces the presence of the unwanted thiols.
WO-A1-2004/014348 (Michael Gurin) discloses compositions comprising polyphenol and enzymes which can be used to control halitosis. The polyphenol is mixed with citric acid to prevent ionization of the hydroxyl groups on the polyphenol. Furthermore, the enzyme is typically encapsulated together with the polyphenol. In addition, the purpose is to destroy the bacteria present in the mouth rather than to address the presence of thiols.
It would also be desirable to provide a composition in which any of the active ingredients are stable upon storage and yet, when mixed, provide a synergistic effect to control malodour due to thiols.
Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide a composition that maintains an excellent effect against malodour even in a pH environment at which the active ingredients may typically be unstable during storage.
Thus, the present invention seeks to address one or more of the abovementioned problems and/or to provide one or more of the abovementioned benefits.